Establishing Service

This guide outlines the steps to take for a new electrical service or line extension. Before connecting a new electrical service, requirements from the National Electrical Code and the National Electrical Safety Code must be met and other forms completed and processed.

Customers who have service wiring installed without first obtaining location approval from Emera Maine for the point of attachment do so at the risk of having to relocate the installation.

Permanent or temporary service — Permanent service is usually attached to the house or building and will be used indefinitely. Temporary service (typically used for construction and usually hooked to a temporary pole or structure) is defined as electrical service provided for generally less than six months.

Site location and address of service — The number on the nearest utility pole, approximate distance to area landmarks, or other helpful directions are appreciated.

Mailing address, phone number, date of birth, license or other ID, Social Security number, and name of your employer.

Name of the electrician who is performing the work.

Load Information Form — Required for all new commercial/industrial business services. Downloadable version available below.

If telephone service is required, you should notify your telephone company immediately. In most areas, we work with the telephone company when installing poles, so their early involvement may reduce the time required to provide electrical service.

Local or State Authorization

Emera Maine is required by the laws of the State of Maine to provide service only to structures that are in compliance with state and local ordinances regarding the development of subdivisions and shoreland zone areas.

If your building is in an organized township, we will need a completed Subdivision/Shoreland Authorization Form completed by you and your town officials.

If your building is in an unorganized township, we will refer you to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC), 1-800-452-8711 or 287-2631. LUPC will provide you with a Building Permit, and we require a copy of this permit for our records.

Electrical Inspection

Most towns require a permit before work begins. You or your electrician must notify the electrical inspector in your city or town when the new service is ready to be inspected. The inspector will inform Emera Maine after the new service passes inspection. If there is no local electrical inspector and the building was constructed after July 1, 1997, a licensed electrician or state electrical inspector is required to inspect. Nonresidential and multifamily buildings require state electrical permits. Your electrician can obtain the State Permit by calling 624-8603.

Electric Service Cancellation

If you wish to cancel your electric service, please contact our Customer Contact Center at 1-855-EMERA-11 or (207) 973-2000. Please have the following information available:

The account number from your electric bill.

Exact location (911 Address) and description of the premise.

If renting, the name of your landlord and whether they want the power left on.

Whether someone else will be living there or moving in.

Whether the premise is winterized (during the winter months).

Forwarding address.

We hope we'll have the opportunity to serve you again sometime soon.

Line Emera Maine Provides

Emera Maine provides the first 150 feet of service wire (with no road crossings) or 200 feet of service wire (with a road crossing) at no cost to you. Distances over 150 feet from our pole may require a private secondary service pole. If no additional poles are required, we will schedule our crew to run the wires from our pole to the point of attachment.

Line Extensions

If it is necessary for a a primary line extension to be installed due to connected load or distance:

If you're a residential customer, we will ask you to sign either a monthly surcharge contract ($0.121 per foot) plus the cost of trim and cost of ledge or a contribution in aid of construction contract ($7.02 per foot) plus the cost of ledge and trim multiplied by (1.20) to account for the tax effect of the up front payment to fund the extension. Any distance over 2000 feet needs to be paid as a contribution in aid of construction (prepayment). If you're a developer who would like the line built into a subdivision, we will ask that you make a contribution in aid of construction to fund the extension. The option of paying monthly surcharges is not applicable for developers. Emera Maine will obtain state/municipal permits needed for placing new lines along public roads and for crossing railroad tracks or bodies of water. The customer will be responsible for obtaining necessary permits for privately owned lines. If the line is owned by Emera Maine, then permission will be necessary from you. If the line crosses land other than yours, whether you own the line or Emera Maine owns the line, permission from that property owner is required. The following documents and information should be brought to the initial meeting with the Emera Maine service planner at your site:

A copy of your deed, lease, or 10-year legal interest to the property.

A copy of that portion of the town tax map that shows your lot and all abutting or affected property owners. Town tax maps are available at your town office. Make sure the tax map shows the page number.

A copy of your subdivision plan or surveyor's plan.

If there are trees obstructing the area where lines are to be run from the pole to your dwelling, you will be required to have them trimmed or removed before service lines are installed.

Underground Installations

These lines are generally more expensive and complicated to install than standard overhead facilities.

You will need to pay the excess cost reflecting the total difference between what it would have cost to provide service via a standard overhead facility compared to the actual cost of the underground facility. The excess cost portion is a nonrefundable payment in advance.

Line extension contracts may be necessary.

You will be required to provide trench excavation, backfill, conduit, an installed 1/2" pull rope, transformer foundation and an as built surveyor's attested plan on Mylar.

State of Maine requires that where any private facilities are in the public way, the customer must provide the electric utility with certified copies of the approved permits before power can be supplied to the customer (S.P.7.1-LD, 133, Sec. 2.35-A MRSA paragraph 2305).

State of Maine and towns also require the customer to obtain a road opening permit before digging in any public way. Please contact the appropriate town or state officials.

Private Lines

The customer also has the right to hire a Private Contractor to build their line extension as long as the line is not in a public way. Before Emera Maine can energize the line, we ask the customer to mark the private poles with numbers we provide. If another customer requests power from a privately owned line, you must contact us. In order for Emera Maine to provide a customer with service, the electric company must own the distribution line.

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Requirements for Temporary Service

Temporary service may be either for construction power pending the installation of permanent power or for short duration non-permanent requirements.

Construction Power Service

Construction power service will be provided to customers that demonstrate their intent to construct permanent service units that would meet the requirements of Emera Maine’s Terms and Conditions for a permanent service. All facilities installed for temporary service that will not be used for the permanent service are subject to Up & Down Charges.

Short Duration or Non-Permanent Service

Requirements for service that do not meet the requirements of Section 5 of the Company’s Terms and Conditions for Line Extensions, the Residential Development Contract, or for which the Company has reason to believe that the service is for a short duration (i.e., service to a camper trailer, mobile office, bridge or highway construction projects) shall be subject to Up & Down Charges. Up & Down Charges shall be based on the estimated cost for all labor to construct or install facilities to serve the customer, all labor to dismantle those facilities and the value of any non-salvageable material that were expended exclusive of service drops in excess of 150 feet. All Up & Down Charges shall be paid in advance of the work being done.

PRICING SHORT DURATION OR NON-PERMANENT SERVICES:

Aerial Service Drops:

Single phase up to 150 feet of 2/3 triplex service cable $400*

Single phase of 2/3 triplex service cable in excess of 150 feet $325*

Single Phase up to 150 feet of 1/0 triplex service cable $450*

Single Phase of 1/0 triplex service cable in excess of 150 feet $375*

Three phase up to 150 feet of 1/0 quad service cable $500*

Three phase of 1/0 quad service cable in excess of 150 feet $400*

Pole Mounted Distribution Transformers

Single phase transformers $285 per transformer *

Three phase transformer banks $984 per bank of three transformers*

*Notes:

The pricing for the service drops and transformers above is based on the locations of poles and transformers being readily accessible by material handling over the road bucket trucks.

When the installation of temporary or non-permanent services require the use of crane trucks or off road equipment these installations shall be priced on a project-by-project basis.

When the installation or removal of temporary or non-permanent services require work outside of Emera Maine’s normal work hours, these services will be priced on a project-by-project basis. Temporary or Non-Permanent services requiring connection to underground distribution systems will be priced on a project-by-project basis.

Please Identify Your Service Area

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Emera Maine provides electric delivery service to two areas – the Bangor Hydro District and the Maine Public District.

The Bangor Hydro District includes Hancock, Piscataquis and Washington Counties and most of Penobscot County.

The Maine Public District serves Aroostook County and a small piece of Penobscot County.

Because some information varies by District, please identify your District on the map above, or enter your town or zipcode. If you need information on both Districts, switch back and forth at any time by selecting the district selector button.

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